By James Murimi - Reporter
Kenya, 8 July 2026 - Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua has launched a blistering attack on President William Ruto and Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja, accusing the two leaders of presiding over the collapse of the capital and turning it into "a city of shame."
In a statement posted on his official Facebook page on Wednesday, the former Deputy President claimed Nairobi had deteriorated under the Kenya Kwanza administration, citing rising insecurity, corruption, poor service delivery, forced evictions and failing public infrastructure.
"The City of Nairobi is in ruins. Total failure. It is no longer the Green City in the Sun," Gachagua said.
He alleged that criminal gangs were operating with state protection, claiming they worked alongside police officers to terrorise residents, a situation he said had driven away investors and tourists.
"Goons have taken over the city. The state-sponsored militia work with the police, and with Ruto's blessings, they operate with impunity, making everyone scared and causing tourists and investors to stay away," he claimed.
Gachagua further accused the Nairobi County Government of overseeing rampant corruption, saying City Hall had become synonymous with graft.
"The other name for the Planning Department at City Hall should be the Corruption Department. Nothing is working. The people of Nairobi must be heard," he said.
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The DCP leader also criticised ongoing demolitions and evictions, alleging that vulnerable families had been left homeless, while public schools were overcrowded and drainage systems had collapsed, worsening living conditions across the city.
He made the remarks after hosting a delegation of opinion leaders from Westlands Constituency led by Senior Counsel Nelson Havi, who briefed him on what he described as the deteriorating state of Nairobi and ongoing consultations on the country's political future ahead of the 2027 General Election.
"I am disturbed by the graphic details presented to me on the rot in our capital city, Nairobi," Gachagua said, adding that consultations on what he termed the "liberation" of Nairobi and the formation of the country's sixth administration would continue.
The latest broadside escalates the political confrontation between Gachagua and President Ruto, with the former Deputy President increasingly positioning himself as the face of the opposition ahead of the 2027 polls, while intensifying his criticism of both the national government and the Nairobi County administration.